Former India captain Anil Kumble has warned the Suryakumar Yadav-led side not to take Zimbabwe lightly. He also urged the team to play their natural, aggressive brand of cricket.

"India need to play their natural, aggressive brand of cricket against Zimbabwe. But Zimbabwe are going to be a tough opponent, and they must be respected. They have delivered some strong performances. They beat Australia. They chased down 179 against Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil.

"They have convincingly beaten Australia. Their top four batters have been in excellent form. Their tall fast bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, have been outstanding with the ball, especially in the powerplay," Kumble said on JioHotstar.

Chepauk offers considerable amount of dew in the second innings during this period, making batting easier and bowling equally tough under such conditions. To maintain fairness throughout the game, the stadium is using a new imported chemical known as 'Dew Cure' to fight the challenge, claimed a report. Giving details, it added that the chemical has been brought from the United States.

While India suffered a 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in their first Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe were thrashed by a 107-run margin by the West Indies. Such big losses have dented the net run rate of both India and Zimbabwe.

Will India be making changes in their batting line-up? The team has plenty of left-handed batters in the top order, giving opposition sides a clear opportunity to attack with an off-spinner at the start of the innings. With an aim to counter it, the hosts might rope in right-handed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson in the playing XI. But who will make way for him if it happens? Tilak Varma, most likely.

Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder helped West Indies make a superb recovery and post a competitive total of 176/8 against South Africa. The duo shared an 89-run stand off 57 balls. Shepherd scored 52 not out, while Holder hit 49. Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas with figures of 3 for 30.

India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson.

Zimbabwe Squad: Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza(c), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Ben Curran, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza.

India must be having their focus on the ongoing South Africa vs West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight game taking place in Ahmedabad. If the Windies lose the contest, the Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will have their fate in their own hands. They will then need to win against Zimbabwe and the Windies to qualify for the semifinal.

In case the Windies beat South Africa, India would need to defeat both Zimbabwe and the Shai Hope-led side by massive margins. In that scenario, both India and the West Indies will finish on four points, with the team having the better net run rate progressing to the semifinal.

Hello everyone, welcome to the live blog of the India vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight match. The crucial encounter will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai tonight. Stay connected for the live score and updates related to the game.